Oregon Adventures - Part 2: Art and Coffee on the Oregon Coast

I recently spent a couple of days biking down the Oregon coast from Bandon to Brookings.  This trip followed directly after four days of biking around Ashland (described in Oregon Adventures - Part 1) and the contrast between Ashland (inland) and the coast was evident the first morning.  It was a bit foggy and cool (it was October) and we made use of our foul weather gear for the morning start. 

Heading south from Bandon, the scenery, as well as the weather, was quite different from the pastoral hills and valleys and sunny skies around Ashland.  Moreover, was soon apparent that this is an artsy community, with the artists here making creative use of the materials at hand.  

 My grandson would love this one,

How did he get Bigfoot to pose for this?

The piece below can be found at 'Washed Ashore' - art to save the sea.  

Their motto is:

 'Give us your ocean debris, 

We'll make art to save the sea'

Note: according to their website, their art is currently on exhibit at 3 SeaWorld locations  (http://washedashore.org/). 

Vines Art Glassblower shop is also nearby, with lots of fine glass art on display.

 These websites describe the art community in Bandon

http://www.bandon.com/webfront/directory/subcat.php?subcatid=227
http://www.bandon.com/WashedAshore
http://vinesartglass.com/

Leaving Bandon we rode south through miles of remote country side with fog looming behind the coastal hills. Sometimes the road would ascend into the gloom and we would get a bit wet, but it never rained hard. Along the way we  spied a beaver dam (unfortunately, no pics) and a lonely barn called Sixes Grange Marketplace. 

We didn't go into the marketplace, but a yelper named  James L. did back in 2013 and from his rather droll yelp review I surmise that we didn't miss much (http://www.yelp.com/biz/sixes-grange-856-market-place-sixes).

Further down the road we passes a cranberry bog - first time any of us had seen one - always nice to see something new!

Port Orford Coffee Adventures

Around lunch time we rolled into Port Orford, a small beach community, and I was ready for some hot coffee and a pastry.  I spotted Tasty Kate's Cafe, and given that I write a bakery-blog, had to stop at this cheery looking place.   

The vibe was good, because as I was parking my bike someone walking on the far side of the road called out saying this was the best place in town.  So I went in, surveyed the baked goods, resisted the urge for an eclair and bought a croissant 

(https://www.facebook.com/TastyKates).

Our plan was to meet at another coffee shop just down the road called One Lump or Two. I suggested that we change our plan and go to Tasty Kate's instead , because the odds of finding pastries this good anywhere else in town appeared slim.  Well, the others in the group didn't trust my intuition, so I pocketed my croissant and rejoined the group.

One Lump or Two

A short way south from Tasty Kate's is One Lump or Two.  I am not sure how to describe this coffee house, so I will defer to Sally:

'At Port Orland we stopped for coffee at One Lump Or Two, a bizarre place with an incredibly eccentric proprietor.  Amongst other things, he keeps the “Closed” sign in the window “To discourage stupid people” from coming in. He was rude to the patrons and seemed to be proud of it.  He was strange in appearance, with piercing dark eyes,  handlebar mustache, long hair, and “sleeve” tattoos on both arms.  But he DID make good coffee! (Included in the options: peanut butter coffee, mint coffee, and waffle coffee).  When I asked about the waffle coffee, he said “Do you SEE any waffles around here?”  I didn’t pursue it!'

The barista's name is Kurlee and eccentric is an overly kind description.  He makes a Peanut Butter Mocha and several other coffee drinks that are unique and very good. But, One Lump' doesn't sell any food, just coffee or Chai Tea, which Kurlee described disapprovingly as 'that hippie tea with espresso'.  Luckily, I had my croissant which I furtively munched down while enjoying the PB Mocha. I have provided a link to the yelp reviews below, and suggest that the interested coffee drinker read them and then make your own decisions regarding this place.   In my book, Kate's eclairs, croissants and inviting atmosphere definitely win out (but they are not gluten-free ;-).   I must say that the 30 minutes we spent in One Lump did supply us with hours of stories, so it was definitely a noteworthy stop - highlight is not quite the right word. 

Oh yes, be warned that if your ears are sensitive to F-bombs, you should probably go to Kate's.  

(http://www.yelp.com/biz/one-lump-or-two-port-orford) .

After leaving One Lump we made sandwiches at a local seaside park. 

We  rode along the coast for much of the afternoon, with a few cuts inland through beautiful canyons, and we did get an occasional glimpse of the sun. 

We also came across this friendly fellow.  Too bad none of us had on our VeloRaptor jerseys.

After 55 miles and surviving One Lump and some gloomy weather, we reached Gold Beach, a charming community just across this bridge at the mouth of the Rogue River.  

Our accommodations had beach access accented with a bit of Northwest Indian culture. 

The path to the beach was inviting,

And Ron again showed his skill with a camera, capturing these nice pics of Susan and these shore birds.

Dinner that night was at Spinner's - a casual but elegant eatery .  Ron enjoyed some good beer and rich chocolate cake with homemade ice cream.  I can also recommend the salmon special and the mixed berry ice cream.  (http://www.spinnersrestaurant.com/).

Gold Beach to Brookings

The weather was misty the next day on our short (25 mile) ride to Brookings, but we were able to enjoy the spectacular rocky coastline.  

This shot is from the Thomas Creek Bridge, which at 345 ft is the highest bridge in Oregon

Nearer Brookings, Sally, Steve and I stopped to see a natural bridge in Samuel H. Boardman State Park.  (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g51780-d2263265-Reviews-Samuel_H_Boardman_State_Park-Brookings_Oregon.html#photos) 

We got off the bikes at Harris Beach State Park, and after a shower and snack, headed back inland to I-5 and the trip home.  

Video Link

This trip was organized by Black Sheep Adventures and here is a link to a short video of the trip that they produced ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVwmeD8UtD4 ).